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September 6, 2011
© GPL
 
ProWikiCenter
Suggested Features
 
This is a branch for describing and planning new ProWiki software features.

For those already implemented look into the SuggestedFeatures/Archive.

Encrypted Passwords

Is it difficult to implement password encryption? Wiki Admins can view clear text passwords, which I consider as a severe security leak as most people use the same password also for other accounts. -- OliverR

No, it shouldn't be difficult. I'll implement it as soon as possible. Expect it with the release 45 or 46, sometime in September. -- HelmutLeitner August 17, 2006 20:55 CET

RSS Feed for RecentChanges

What about an rss feed of RecentChanges? "&rss=1" -- MilkMiruku

That's already on my list, I just hadn't yet time to select a RSS reader and work through. What system do you use? -- HelmutLeitner

For reading RSS streams, I use the Jabber aggregator bot JabRSS (headlines appear in my Jabber client when I log on and then when ever the bot detects the stream has updated). -- MilkMiruku

First test version of rss feed is now available:
ThisWiki:action=rss&days=1
I would be happy about feedback. When it's tested, I'll put a button on RecentChanges for automatic recognition. -- HelmutLeitner
''Great and thanks helmut Just tested on FractalWiki, could be great help. Do you plan a rss feed for any subwiki ? -- ChristopheDucamp

It should now work for any subwiki. You will find it on the respective RC page. The syntax is for some technical reason "browse=.../RecentChangesRss&days=..." -- HelmutLeitner

Improvements to CdmlToc

How about expanding CdmlToc to add

  1. an option fo hide the title part of the table, i.e., so the table just shows 1 cell with the listings.
  2. an option to put number or bullet point the items in the contents list.
  3. an option to disable the 'top of page' anchor links appearing in the titles
-- MilkMiruku

I think these are good ideas. The problem is that they are of the "low priority" type that make wiki somewhat more beautiful, but do not add something really new. (1) is easy, so you will get it SOON. (2) is more work and I can't tell an ETA. -- HelmutLeitner [Nov 14, 2003]

(1) you can hide the title by setting it to "-" or "none" [Nov 16,2003]
(3) you can disable the top links by using the parameter [link=0] [Nov 16,2003]

Login Author Configuration

How about letting general ProWiki users have passwords (or add password protection to usage of their username if they want it)? -- MilkMiruku

You (administrators) can:

  • add users to the server and give them rights to your wiki (e. g. Reader or Author)
  • configure that only authors can edit
  • configure that the login name has priority over the username to label user activities (default is the other way round)
So I think the ProWiki can already be configured to do pretty much what you suggest. If you want to switch, I'll write a page about something like LoginAuthorConfiguration. -- HelmutLeitner

I was more thinking of a feature where wiki visitors could go to the preferences page and click a link which password protects the username they currently use. If someone enters a username that is already taken into the preferences screen then it will request that users password. I'm thinking of a system that wouldn't require the wiki's admin to add each new person who wants to protect their username with a password. -- MilkMiruku

I understand what you want but it's not a simple change, because the wikis share a common username system. The advantage is that you can work in many wikis even in different roles with just one single login. You can have consolidated RecentChanges, stats and logs. There can be no username collision in the sense that you login as "MilkMiruku" here and can't login as "MilkMiruku" there because your username is taken. Giving this to users would mean thousands of usernames just used for testing, would mean that the wikis need separate username systems and separated logins. I have to think this through once more. -- HelmutLeitner

Ah.. fair enough. So is there any solution to the possibility of someone simply entering an existing users wikiname and making malicious changes? -- MilkMiruku

I'm using wiki for 3+ years and we had a small number of trolls and destructive users, yes, but never someone who misused a name. Either they are proud about their trolling and use their name or work without a name. The current system is not name-save, but wiki users know about this. I think it makes sense to look for a solution that is save, easy and effortless at the same time, although currently there is no problem. Give me 2-3 weeks to think it through. -- HelmutLeitner

Righty ho, thanks -- MilkMiruku

Inline diff

How about the ability to view diffs with a more inline style, like a few other wiki engines do? -- MilkMiruku

Inline diff is fine with simple text but doesn't go well with more complex layout options, HTML and macro parameters. What is the inline display of a "parameter color change" of a table cell? It seem to be an either "inline diff and simple text" or "simple diff and any layout". -- HelmutLeitner

How about an admin option for switching between the two then? The reason I prefer viewing inline diffs is because I can see the position on the page where the edit was made, i.e., I can view the context of the change. I'd also say that personally I prefer simple text when viewing a diff, as it allows one to see immediatly what text has been entered instead of seeing the actual formatted wiki, so one can view any mistakes or other code errors that might have been made. -- MilkMiruku

Spell checker

How about a spell checker facility, like WardsWiki? -- MilkMiruku

There is already a simple SpellChecker, that can be turned on and off like other features. It's not like Wards spell checker, working on any edit - it is an additional function that is activated on demand like the archive. I'll document it during the next few days. -- HelmutLeitner

Automatic preferences creation from login

Might it be an idea to link the admin login to the username login, i.e., so that when an admin logis in, it creates a user cookie with that admins name. Or is there a trend for admins to use more than one wiki name on their wikis? -- MilkMiruku

Also a good idea. Could be selected as an option from ThisWiki:action=userdata. No, there is no tendency to use multiple names. -- HelmutLeitner

Session statistic extensions

How about a command, similar to [hotspots], but which returns statistics on how many page loads and how many sessions there have been in total and/or for the current date? -- MilkMiruku

Use the command ActionLog with the parameter "sum=1", try "lines=0" and "names=1. -- HelmutLeitner

Renaming pages

Might it be possible to have an admin only feature for renaming a node? It would alter the hotspot, top nodes and any other relevant sections of the data base, and that also creates the new node and transfers the content of the old node to it (while leaving the admin to change the old node name text in existing wiki pages to use the new node name)? -- MilkMiruku

Sigh. I've often thought about this. Handy, but dangerous. Software has to look the database for some time (maybe the change extends to any of thousands of pages). What if some little typo creeps in? It might ruin the whole page database. Need for an undo! Then there is more than just the places you mention. There are at least a dozen places where pagenames are held. New link strategies create a fuzzy situation about who links what ... I don't know when I will have the courage to tackle this task. -- HelmutLeitner

How do you mean by 'maybe the change extends to any of thousands of pages'; many possible points in the database to change, or many possibly references on existing wiki pages? As for typos; I could see how if someone makes a mistake then it might take some undoing, but the feature could always have a big warning and a double field entry procedure on the relevant page. What about reserving the feature for wiki owners, rather than just admins? -- MilkMiruku

Upload from urls

On the upload page, add a section so the admin can point to a file online for the ProWiki to upload (rather than uplod from a local drive). -- MilkMiruku

I've mixed feelings about this. It surely is handy and easy to implement, and in principle there is litte difference to (1) download to you PC (2) upload to wiki. But it feels like a tool to directly rip web content and disregard copyright. -- HelmutLeitner

I mentioned it because I regularly use library computers that do not allow users any access to disk space, so I feel that there is a legitimate usage for this feature. As you say; if someone wanted to rip something, then they could just as easily save it then upload it. -- MilkMiruku

Preferences generated from login

How about a radio box for the action=login page that, when checked, would also create the username cookie that one gets from submitting action=editprefs (so admins wouldn't have to login twice)? -- MilkMiruku

Ok, I now start to see a pattern. Do you often work from public workstations (in libraries)? Perhaps we should think how to streamline working in this situation? -- HelmutLeitner

I do have access at home, but only at night (and sometimes in the afternoon, like now), but yes, I primaraly use public library computers. Regarding this suggestion; when an admin logs in using action=login, in your opinion, would it be a bad idea in doing so to automatically create a standard username cookie for their admin username? -- MilkMiruku

Not at all. I think we should perhaps add a checkbox "[ ] create preferences automatically" and add a "preferences data section" to the userdata. -- HelmutLeitner

Add a diff to edit-collision-display

How about displaying a note of what changes differ between the two pages that appear on an edit colission? -- MilkMiruku

Sometimes this could help, especially when one has made a lot of small changes at many different places. Good idea. -- HelmutLeitner

Please add new feature requests here

A few suggestions for the referers page;

  • An option to view either full referer urls (like now) or abridged domain names ("google.com - 43").
  • An option to view the list either like action=top (like now), or in datetime order (like action=stat or action=log)
  • A link to action=referer from in the "additional functions:" link list
-- MilkMiruku


Might it be an idea for admins to be able to set <meta> tags for their wiki in the admin section? This way, ProWiki?s can use systems such as geourl. -- MilkMiruku


How about allowing admins to preset the variables for certain action pages on their prowiki's Context page (i.e., something like "* action.stat.vars=detail=3&days=5") -- MilkMiruku


When you use wiki.cgi?action=random, how about making the url of the random page " http://www.wikiservice.at/prowiki/wiki.cgi?TestPage&action=random", rather than just " http://www.wikiservice.at/prowiki/wiki.cgi?TestPage", so when the user clicks on 'go' or 'refresh' again, a new random page is loaded. This would save on having to copy and paste "&action=random" after every page load. -- MilkMiruku

There is a way around this problem (place windows comfortably side by side). -- HelmutLeitner


How about an admin login information action page (i.e. something like action=loginhist), which would show admins a history of succesful and failed admin logins? This would help by showing if anyone is systematically trying to login without the password, or if someone has logged in after finding/guessing the password. -- MilkMiruku

That's a good idea. Perhaps an "action=adminlog" that might contain all types of normally hidden activities. Information about logins, slurp blocking, upload directory activities, ... ? -- HelmutLeitner

Sure, yes, that sounds good -- MilkMiruku


How about an XML-RPC interface for accessing and editing ProWiki?s? -- MilkMiruku

How would a user take advantage of this? -- HelmutLeitner

It would make it possible for third party applications to interface with ProWiki sites directly rather than through hacky html scraping methods. The application I was thinking of would be a Jabber component that could be used to remotly access specific wiki pages. More information on XMLRPC can be found here. -- MilkMiruku



Oh my; I have just realised that "Automatic preferences creation from login" and "Preferences generated from login" are the same suggestion. I do apologise. -- MilkMiruku


I'd like to suggest that you have a happy christmas and a good new year, and that you implement this immediatly! =) -- MilkMiruku

Milk, Thank you for all your suggestions, especially the last . I'll try to realize a number of them during the next 2 weeks. Happy Christmas to you and all your friends and family members. What are you plans for next year? -- HelmutLeitner

My main plan at the moment is to try get a stable job so I can pay of my depts and make some capital so I can do various things I'd like to do in life. -- MilkMiruku